


His Name

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Cats, F/M, Family, Nekoma, One Shot, One part story, Reader-Insert, Set When Kuroo is in College, Short Story, Tetsurou Kuroo, Tokyo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 08:22:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9226508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: You go to the animal shelter to pet the cats whenever you're sad, but never once did you notice that guy. Nor do you know his name. Not until today, that is.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so this is just a random AU i decided to do wherein Kuroo & you are both college/university students and Kuroo works part time at the animal shelter. It's my first story on this website so I hope you enjoy :-) feel free to point out any grammatical errors and I'll try fixing them!

There was something calming about the cats in the shelter. The way they purred calmly and softly as you stroked their silky fur, the way they’d stretch with such a relaxation and trust in you that it put you at ease. The way their eyes shut slowly, pleasantly and happily, entrusting themselves to you. Even if that was just for a bit. 

It never failed to put you at a rest; a certain bliss you didn’t quite understand. A certain bliss that didn’t ever fail to occur whenever you went to the cat shelter, no matter how upset or frustrated you were feeling.

Cats really were wonderful creatures.

Which is precisely why you wandered into the animal shelter after one stressful week, your one intention being to see the cats you’d come attached to over the period of time you’d spent here. You’d even considered getting a part-time job at this place just to spend your time in the very atmosphere of cats. Alas, college work had set back any ideas of getting a part time job at this place. 

That hadn’t ever stopped you from coming to this place before, though.

“Do you want any help?” 

A smooth voice broke you out of your thoughts as you gazed down at the cat you were currently petting. It had black fur that was sprinkled with white, as though it had freckles of snow dotted around its coat. Its paws were a soft grey and oh so small and little. You couldn’t help but smile in awe at the way the cat stretched so graciously. It opened its mouth to yawn silently, looking so adorably irresistible that you wanted nothing more than to adopt this very cat.

Your eyes slid to the owner of the smooth voice, focusing on a tall, muscular boy who was leaning against the doorframe with an air of nonchalance emanating from him. His arms were crossed across his broad chest, his entire posture akin to that of a naturally casual person. Then there was his dark hair, a few strands flicking onto his forehead and the rest sticking up in a way that didn’t seem scientifically possible. Could hair  _ really _ defy gravity as easily as his was?

He didn’t look like the sort of person to work in an animal shelter, somehow. Something about him reminded you of a reckless teenager. A popular, athletic guy who viewed himself superior to everyone else; not the sort of person you’d have expected to work in an animal shelter. You frowned at the thoughts, batting them away. After all, who were you to judge?

“O-oh, no. I’m just looking,”

There was no way in hell you’d ever be allowed to bring a cat home. Never. Your mother always had been strict on that front, obstinate from the very first day you proposed the mere idea of owning a cat. 

“Right,” he replied, pushing himself off the doorframe and walking away, a faint, amused smile dusting his lips faintly.  _ Just like always. _

Every week you’d come here and make a beeline straight for the cats. Every week, you’d come in and he'd see the hint of a panicked expression resting upon your facial features like a heavy burden you wanted to get rid of immediately. He’d feel the tense atmosphere that surrounded you as soon as you entered the building. Miraculously, every week, when you'd leave, be it after ten minutes or an hour and a half, you would never leave without a serene expression gracing your features. Brightening up what would previously have been a glum, upset face.

As though the worry and sadness that had seemed to be anchored in your eyes gets lifted by spending time with animals that cannot communicate with humans through the art of speaking human tongues. Just through reassuring purs and cuddling up to you. 

But he noticed that recently, you were coming more frequently. Spending much more time than you normally did just basking in the company of the cats. Letting your hands work through their fur, soothing down their soft fur and playing with their paws with such gentleness, as though the cats were your own child. 

Kuroo wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the sudden change in the amount of times per week you attended. No. His boisterous friend Bokuto who’d normally charge into the store and greet him with a loud ‘hey’, had noticed your presence in the shelter. As well as Bokuto’s friend Akaashi, who’d normally scold him for his loud behaviour.

“We have to appreciate the voices that we’ve been gifted!” Bokuto would childishly protest in response to Akaashi’s scolding.

“There are animals here, you’re probably scaring them all,” Akaashi would sigh in reply, his dark eyes scanning the shelter, as if half expecting a parrot to come and attack them out of nowhere due to Bokuto’s loud behaviour.

Kuroo grinned at his friends’ antics just as the door burst open, and Akaashi had already held onto the collar of Bokuto’s shirt before he could make yet another loud entrance. Bokuto fidgeted in protest, clawing at his friend’s sturdy hand that held him from running amok like a bull in a china shop.

“Hey hey hey, Akaashi! Since when were you my mother?” Bokuto asked as Akaashi finally released his steel-like grip on Bokuto’s collar. 

Bokuto’s hands traced his throat, harshly massaging the part of skin that had been held hostage to his oppressive collar. All the while glowering at his friend with wariness before he turned to Kuroo, waving in a silent greeting for fear of upsetting Akaashi. Only Akaashi had that sort of control over Bokuto. Kuroo smiled at them both.

“Is the cat girl here again?” Bokuto whispered, albeit so loudly anyone would wonder if Bokuto even understood the concept of ‘whispering’.

Kuroo raised one eyebrow, “Oh, so you’re not even pretending that you’re here to see me anymore, Bokuto? It’s all about the girl who likes cats now, is it? I’m wounded.”

Bokuto brushed off Kuroo’s words without a second thought, oblivious to his words as he scanned the shelter, glimpsing your figure through the doorway to where the cats were. He grinned slightly, as though he were expecting it.

“What’s her name? D’ya think I should ask?”

“Huh? Oh, no. She didn’t seem very… happy when she came in,”

“What are you, psychic? Besides, are you saying I’m not a positive influen-”

“I think Kuroo spoke for everyone when he implied that,” Akaashi shrugged, looking over to you, ignoring Bokuto’s outraged outburst that caused Kuroo to wince and plead for his friend to shut up before a member of staff shooed him out of the shelter - it had been done before, after all.

You were smiling at the cats, especially the one with white-flecked fur who had seemed to grow attached to you. It rubbed its head against the palm of your hand, begging for you to pet it even more than you already had. Despite the fact that you’d devoted an unfair amount of attention towards this cat in comparison to the rest, you couldn’t resist going back without petting it once more. So with a hint of a smile on your face, you ran your fingers through its silky fur once more.

Then, you whispered goodbye to the cute animal that seemed to be preparing itself for a nap as you stood to leave. It stretched and yawned, its mouth forming the shape that resembled a lion roaring, a silent roar that looked so innocuous on the cat that you couldn’t help but smile. Animals had a certain magical connection that you’d never had with any other person on planet earth. Like they understood your pain and knew exactly how to take away said pain without breathing a word.

You absentmindedly dusted the cat’s hair off your jacket and slung your bag over your shoulder. As you walked through the doorway, you noted that the tall, black haired guy was talking with two other people about some nonsense. You couldn’t help but deny that he was attractive, in a rugged, ‘I-woke-up-like-this’ sort of way that made your heart flutter. He seemed to note your presence and turned to smile at you.

There was something about that pleasant smile that made you want to speak to him. Something undeniably approachable in his posture, despite the initial impression that he was an intimidating guy that you’d got when you first lay your eyes on him. Something that invited you to talk to him, so you did.

“U-um… sorry for interrupting, but could you tell me the name of the cat with… well, it’s really small and has black fur with white on the top of its back, like it’s had sugar thrown onto its fur. And it has greyish paws, you know… the one I was petting before?” you asked, stumbling on your words with a faint blush blooming across your face. 

No matter how approachable you’d view anyone, if it was the first time you were talking to someone, you’d always rush through your words and stumble and stutter. As though it was a race to see how fast you could say your sentence.

The boy, who seemed to have a habit for leaning against things, pushed himself off the counter he was leaning against and walked over to you. He rested one hand below his chin, contemplative and pensive as his eyebrows knitted themselves together in confusion. A silence settled in the air, and your eyes briefly skimmed the two boys that had been conversing with the guy who now stood in front of you, eyes trained on the floor just in front of your two feet.

“Sorry, but could you show me? I can’t remember off the top of my head,”

You silently nodded, pivoting on your heel and leading him through to where the cat now slept. It was sprawled on its back, belly exposed and head tilted to the right. Kuroo paused as he looked at the cat, pensive still. Then, his head shot up and he fixed his eyes on you, though his eyes flitted towards the cat every few seconds.

“This one? She’s called Snow, I believe,” Kuroo said, absentmindedly as he focused on you. 

A small smile tugged the corners of your mouth upwards as you looked down at the ball of fur that looked so comfortable. Your heartstrings pulled at one another as you realised you’d never be able to get her; to get Snow. There was no way your mother would ever permit such a thing. Never. Not until Hell froze over three times would she ever consider it. And once you were old enough to have your own place, you had no doubt that Snow would’ve already been adopted by another owner.

So, despite the small smile that blossomed on your face unexpectedly, a sigh managed to escape your lips. Kuroo raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.

“Well, thank you, I guess…” you trailed off into silence at the realisation that you still hadn’t caught his name.

“Just call me Kuroo,” he shrugged, and you smiled at him.

“Okay, Kuroo-san. I’m [Y/N],” you introduced yourself, “thanks for helping me, Kuroo-san,”

“You’re welcome, [Y/N],” he replied.

When you left the shelter, there was a part of you that felt defeated. Defeated at the fact that you hadn’t been able to adopt that cute cat. Snow. But there was another part of you that felt as though you hadn’t walked away empty-handed. As you walked down the busy streets of Tokyo, waiting to cross the road, a small smile printed itself onto your face, almost permanent as your mind wandered back to the guy with the strange hairstyle.

At least you’d found out that guy’s name.


End file.
